


T'Challa Sets Up an Interview

by moonjump05



Series: Bucky in Wakanda [2]
Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky has an arm, Gen, I love Wakanda, Quality male bonding, T'Challa the QA king, Tiny bit of Bucky/Shuri, Wakanda, before infinity war, winterprincess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 02:36:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14844000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonjump05/pseuds/moonjump05
Summary: T’Challa smiled warmly, even at his rather lackluster answer, “Ah, you were on your way to the palace?  Perhaps we can ride together?”Well, that wasn’t exactly an order, but certainly not an offer to refuse.  Bucky was well aware his current security was very much thanks to the man in front of him.  That and Steve’s uncanny ability to get people to trust him.  “Of course,” he agreed.





	T'Challa Sets Up an Interview

**Author's Note:**

> Bucky has an arm before Infinity War here.

Squinting up at the Wakandan sun high overhead, Bucky wiped his hands on a spare rag. It was getting about time, he estimated, heading back to his hut through rows of vegetables and along the lakeshore. A giggle and then muffled voices came from just out of sight before hiding away. A little smile but not about to go trudging through the underbrush he pulled aside the door covering and ducked inside his hut, quickly spotting his tablet. It helped it stuck out like a sore thumb in the rustic house.

He picked it up and checked his reservation, enough time for a change and to splash some grime off his face. The telltale sound of a public hovercar desended on him as he was pulling back his hair, grabbing his bag he walked outside and came up short, body tensing as three Dora Milaje came out of the car faces stern and spears in hand.

Frowning, he wasn’t expecting an escort- hadn’t had one since Shuri somehow managed to sweet talk Okoye into submission. He had asked once how she managed that, but never got a straight answer just a disarming smile. So no glares or following shadows when he came to the palace or visited the Mound as he pleased, and never here at his home. 

But now, six dark sharp eyes looked at him, seemingly through him and he didn’t know why. And you always wanted to know where you stood with the Dora Milaje.

A bit foolish as it turned out, the king was the next one out of the car. Bucky relaxed with more relief than he was willing to admit, that explained the warrior women. Now just to find out what the king was doing out here.

T’Challa straightened out his coat, a nod of acknowledgement, “Barnes, or should I say ‘White Wolf‘?” he greeted cordially holding out a hand. More giggles caused them both to turn for a moment, then an audible gasp followed by a distinct ‘ow’ as one of the eavesdroppers must have elbowed another.

Bucky shook it, “Your highness, you heard it too?”

“The king knows many things,” which meant Shuri told him about the local kids’ nickname. She was very amused by it, setting his personal avatar as a cartoony white wolf and telling him she would change the color of his new arm if he wanted, “It seems like a good fit.”

Glancing back over to their audience, “Yeah,” the kids had gone from cautiously curious when he had first woken up to now begging to see how strong his vibranium arm was by hanging off of it while he held it perfectly horizontally still, all three of them at the same time.

T’Challa smiled warmly, even at his rather lackluster answer, “Ah, you were on your way to the palace? Perhaps we can ride together?”

Well, that wasn’t exactly an order, but certainly not an offer to refuse. Bucky was well aware his current security was very much thanks to the man in front of him. That and Steve’s uncanny ability to get people to trust him. “Of course,” he agreed.

A few words from the king to his guards and they all loaded into the public car, the Dora up front to create a modicum of privacy for the men in the back. The car took off with hardly a noise, just the sudden ascent that quickly smoothed out as the landscape speed by underneath them. T’Challa looked over the car with a critical eye that he then turned to Bucky, “I sometimes ride the public cars- a random audit.” his tone disarmingly sociable, “I thought, why not ‘kill two birds with one claw swipe’ and have a chat?”

He had an idea of what vibranium claws could do.

“Shuri has told me you have been very helpful,” the king continued, uncrossing his arms, “That she couldn’t make the advancements without your willing cooperation. She was very insistent.”

“She’s too kind.”

“She is,” T’Challa agreed pleasantly, “But you must understand my surprise. I was led to believe that she was interested in developing A.I. Now I hear that has been put on hold and she has you…proofreading technical manuals?”

Rubbing his chin a bit self consciously, “She did say that if I could understand them, anyone could…”

T’Challa actually cracked a short lived smile at that, “My sister usually has many projects going on, but I have never seen her drop one like this. Or evade my questions.”

Shuri had yet to bring up the A.I. project in any detail, her enthusiasm tempered perhaps by caution. Bucky himself had told her to go ahead without any reservations, because he knew for her it was important not only to do it well but to do it right. “She needs time,” he offered, “Doesn’t want another Ultron, or worse.”

“And she realized this only after you woke up?”

“No…” at the king’s narrowing of his eyes, Bucky frowned in confusion before it clicked, “No. She asked me what to do.”

Now T’Challa leaned back with satisfaction, a regal nod to continue.

An exhale, “Shuri asked me what to do- they are my memories,” unwanted and vicious as they were, “I may have not been willing in making them, but I won’t let them make another like me.”

Considering, “You told her to stop the project?”

“No,“ a firm shake of his head, “only to erase the actual memories. The… technical jargon stuff would let her continue.” He wanted her to continue.

A pause, “I see,” the king was staring hard, eyeing him up. The car was quiet, “Well, then.” the stern look melted off of T’Challa’s face quickly enough to throw Bucky, the gregarious diplomat back in place “That’s good. Perhaps she will pick up the project again after her work on the outreach center winds down.”

Kinda glad the topic changed, “Only a month until opening day.” he had seen the pictures of the newly built center, stylish and imposing. Even the panther statue on the roof blended in- a far cry from the way Shuri had talked about it- he imagined some ‘cave of wonders’ thing where you walked right through the open mouth.

“And not a day too soon,” T’Challa groaned, “I have attended enough town hall meetings to last a life time. Singing forms, getting permits approved… America is very needlessly complicated.” for a king, that type of bureaucracy must be a quagmire, “But,” he nodded with a sad smile, with conviction, “very worth it.”

The rural landscape had started to show more and more villages as they flew by overhead, closer to the capital. Wakanda wasn’t a large country, it wouldn’t take too long, “Have you decided on the other center locations?”

The king’s mouth twisted, “No, and not any time soon. If the world wasn’t clamoring for our tech, I would have to answer why our War Dogs are still active. Right now I get to pretend that I don’t know that they know. Much more convenient.”

“Can’t last forever.”

“No,” a secretive grin, before turning back towards Bucky, “Our War Dogs are stretched thin- so many have been relocated to the outreach center. My Jabari brothers have enlisted in record numbers, but going from a remote mountain tribe to the streets of Buenos Aires is proving more difficult than anticipated.”

“The design group too,” for the first time since before the war Bucky had a regular job- and coworkers. The design group members had answered questions about vibranium technology, told him which street stalls to buy from, even got him a cake for his birthday- the date was on his Wikipedia page. Well, he was pretty sure Shuri had programmed K.I.D.A. to frost it, it had his actual age in perfect sugar flowers on top. Seeing half of them leave for Oakland had been bittersweet for all, they were leaving home to teach others their work and Bucky was left behind in contentment while they traveled to a near forgotten homeland he would likely never be able to return to.

Perhaps it was just as well- that homeland belonged to another life.

“They have the advantage of internet,” Bucky wasn’t quite sure if he was joking or not, “But there is more work than workers there as well. Nakia,” here T’Challa got a large rather dopey grin on his face, like the ones Steve used to swear he never had when a certain agent was around, “has volunteered for some of the translating work to help ease the burden, but… let us say her Korean is…” he waved a hand pathetically, “not that good.”

A pause.

A pointed finger, “Do not tell her I said that.”

Bucky held up his hands, shaking his head. They both knew where he lived.

T’Challa seemed appeased, sitting back in his seat “I convinced her to send it to a contact she has, Do Min-Joon. He owes me a couple of favors anyway.”

“My King,” one of the Dora interjected from the front of the car. Her English serviceable but clipped with an accent, “We have arrived.”

A glance outside showed the rapidly approaching ground, the city streets bustling as other public cars passed by through the sky. The mountains cut off the afternoon sun, the city beneath lighting up in the ever-present purple-white glow of vibranium. In the center of it all, the palace stood stalwart and strong but welcoming as well.

The car landed softly, taking off again swiftly after they had all exited. Off to the next citizen without fail. The king watched it go for just a moment before leading the group into the palace. The Dora guard fell back at the entrance, neither man warranted an escort inside the building. 

Shouldering his bag, Bucky walked into the large airy foyer. Windows letting in enough light to let the sandstone walls turn gold through he dark green foliage, the mosaic floors swirling in a pattern of reds and blues and in the center was a slender figure in white.

“There you are,” Shuri turned around and smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> AN: So this took forever, but I really wanted to have T’Challa and Bucky bond a bit. Not only because after watching IW and seeing T’Challa recruit Bucky but because T’Challa has been through a lot and he needs some quality male bonding after his father died, his murderous cousin tries to kill him, his bestie W’Kabi is more interested in his revenge boner, his cousin wants to stroke that revenge boner, his mentor is killed, and then his cousin dies. Who puts random kdrama character name drops? This girl. Bucky has watched Disney’s Aladdin.


End file.
